Friday, March 28, 2014

Satish Kaushik and Dev Benegal win at HAF

Satish Kaushik and Dev Benegal win at HAF

Satish kaushik’s Dead End in collaboration with Dev Benegal Wins at HAF. Close on the heels of his latest release, Satish Kaushik flew off to Hong Kong to woo investors for his much coveted project, Dead End. The project was selected from a huge number of entries from world over. It was poised as a strong contender as one of the best 11 screenplays at HAF this year. Hong Kong Asia Film Forum is a prestigious film trade platform where buyers, sellers, funders and producers get to connect on prospective collaborations. Now with the winning trophy in hand, looks like Satish will not find it difficult to find funders.

The Network of Asian Fantastic Film (NAFF) Award at HAF went to Dead End, the only project to be selected from India. This project, which will be invited to participate in next year’s NAFF, is a dark comedy about a man who is declared dead by the Governor of Departments (GoD) and has to fight to prove he’s still alive. Satish Kaushik will be playing the main protagonist.

Satsh Kaushik had the story registered under his name and banner which he had given Dev Benegal to develop. Dev eventually developed it and put it up on Hong Kong Asia Film Forum. The project is up for funding and will be developed as an international venture. It will release world over as the story caters to international sensibilities and a wider audience beyond India.

With the script winning at the platform, takers from Germany, France, Japan, UK, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and US have queued up to meet Satish and Dev to lap up the project. Other than the topline Hollywood production houses, Kaushik is also slated to meet the legendary Karl Baumgartner’s (of Das boot fame, a German film) partners. The Wienstein Company who have produced landmark films like Inglorious Bastards, The Iron Lady, Casandra’s Dreams, Rambo and most recently Osage county have also met with Kaushik and Benegal for the same.

Talking about the development an excited Satish said, “Life suddenly seems to be in a fast lane. Just few days back I was in Chandigarh and Delhi promoting Gang of Ghosts, while taking calls for Lakshmi and now here I am holding the trophy for Dead End. The project is extremely close to my heart and I’m thrilled that it has garnered such positive response internationally. I was very confident of the subject all along and when Dev developed the screenplay I knew that there was no looking back. Winning is always reassuring but more than that It is an honour to be sharing the stage with such acclaimed filmmakers from world over. I’m also positive that the project will attract the kind of funding it merits as we do have the advantage of being one of the selected eleven screenplays”.